Thank you

As I have walked through life, there have been trials that I have had to face to get where I am today. Although these things have been difficult and the situation was not always ideal, what made it easier were the people that stood by my side through it all. I have been very fortunate to have my family and friends with me through all situations. These people have influenced me and shaped me into the person I am today and I could not be more fortunate.

My mother and father have been two of the main people in my life who have stood by my side through everything. When I was younger, they both enforced important values in my life. The most influential of these values were respect, truth, and love. These three lessons have gotten me to where I am today. With the value of respect implanted into my life, I have learned that every individual that I come into contact with deserves a hello and a smile. This form of respect was enforced in my childhood by my parents and that has helped me succeed in academics, sports, and life itself. My parents also taught me to always be truthful in every situation. The truth is something that is not always enforced in our society, but my parents assured that both my siblings and I always told the truth, because that would earn us respect from all individuals. Not only did my parents want to make sure we were truthful and respectful, but that we showed love to every individual that we came in contact with. When I was a kid, it was a  tradition to visit the shelter on Thanksgiving to serve the homeless before celebrating at home. This tradition has stayed dear to my heart and has developed into a passion for serving others. There is no better feeling than seeing a smile on someone’s face that is in the darkest alleys of their lives. As a child, my parents made sure that I had all of these aspects in my life, but as I grew up, they impacted me in ways greater than a few life lessons.  

When I was thirteen years old, my parents got a divorce. To this day, that word makes my stomach drop, my heart ache, and a lump form in my throat. But, it is only a word. It is not what happened because of the word, but the initial impact of it. Society views divorce as an awful aspect of life where adults act foolish and completely forget their children in the process. But, the way that my parents have impacted my life the most is through how they acted during their divorce. They were not the typical American parents who continually fought and made the kids choose, but to this day they put us first. And that has showed me the true meaning of life. My parents care for, love, and truly want their kids and each other to prosper in every way. This has made the biggest impact in my life because it shows that although we all go through rough trials in life, but if one has the right people by their side, they can make it through anything. My parents impacted me greatly because they did not let the problems they were facing break our family apart, but make us stronger. My parents showed me the meaning of life: to love so powerfully that nothing can break it.

Not only do parents have an impact in an individual's life, but the people that God blesses one with at the most unexpected times. As my entire family was adjusting to the new life of a divorced family, we soon had to adjust to an additional three people, and one of these individuals has greatly impacted my view of life. My step-dad came into our lives when it felt like nothing was going right and helped shine the light of Jesus on a hopeless situation. My step-dad, Jim, led me to Jesus. Although my parent’s divorce was not an extreme situation, it still made a great impact on my life and at times, I felt lost. I never knew who to go to or what to do, but when my mother met Jim, he showed me that answer. Jim took my family to Grace Community Church for the first time four years ago. Unknown to him and us, this would change the entire course of my life. Jim not only showed me who I could go to in the midst of the darkest times in my life, but who I should serve for the rest of my life. He was the answer from God that showed me where I belonged and where I should stand. Jim has done so much for my family the past four years, but the one thing I can never repay or thank him enough for is saving my life. He helped me become reborn in Jesus Christ, which changed the entire course of my future. The greater impact that he blessed us with was not only saving me, but my entire family as well. Due to his leading us to church, my entire family grew closer to God and to each other. It is peculiar to look at how God takes the darkest times in life and shines a light directly on them, but that is what He did with Jim, whom without I would be lost, and still searching for the light.

As I walked throughout elementary and middle school, I had amazing friends who were always by my side, but in high school is where I made the most amazing relationships. There are so many people who made an impact in my life throughout high school, but when I look back I see one person who challenged me, lifted me up, confronted the hard situations, and never left my side. My best friend, Brennan, was always there for me through everything that high school consisted. To describe what Brennan has done for me is hard, but I will forever be thankful for him. During high school, Brennan was that friend who was there not only to pick me up in the hard situations or to cheer me on during the positive, but to challenge me. I believe that an important aspect of being a friend is to challenge one another to grow as a person through Christ, and he did just that. He helped my relationship with God flourish into things that I could never imagine happening when I got baptized freshman year. He made sure that I was always following my dreams, connecting with Jesus, and shining the light of God to all I came in contact with. The impact that Brennan made in my life in just four years is huge and it helped me develop into the person I am today. He not only helped me and challenged me, but would put me in my place when I needed the truth. As an individual, I am stubborn in my ways, and when it was needed, Brennan would set me straight. A true friend is one who will do anything for you, and those words do not stand truer for any person I know then Brennan. The impact that he had has made has an everlasting mark in my life.

These are only a few of the people who have made an impact in my life, but these four individuals have helped shape me into the person I am today. All four of them are different and their influence on my life is each uniquely different. Despite their differences, they are all special to me in many ways and have shaped me into who I am today.